Nightmares! We all have them, and some of us have more than a few. Are nightmares caused by trauma? How can we work past our nightmares and start to look forward to sleeping again? Our guest today is trauma specialist, Linda Schiller. She defines nightmares by the feeling tone in the dream and whether the dream situation improves or gets worse. We talk about the idea that we might not ever know the source of our nightmares especially if they were caused by trauma before we developed language including birth trauma and pre-birth trauma. She talks about the importance of creating a sense of safety in the dreamer, and then we spend the rest of the show talking about what you can do about nightmares before they happen, while they are happening, and after they happen.

Linda will be offering a 3-hour zoom workshop Sunday January 12, 2025 from 1 to 4 pm ES through Haden Institute called “Understanding and Healing Nightmares Through Active Dreamwork.” You can register at the following link: Dwcooperative.com/services-6-1.

BIO: Linda Yael Schiller, MSW, LICSW is an international teacher, psychotherapist, and dream worker. She is professor emeritus from Boston University School of Social Work and the post-graduate Trauma Certificate program. She is the author of three books: “PTSDreams: Transform Your Nightmares from Trauma through Healing Dreamwork” her classic, “Modern Dreamwork: New Tools for Decoding Your Soul’s Wisdom,” and her new book “Ancestral Dreaming: Healing Generational Wounds with Active Dreamwork” which comes out this summer and is currently available for pre-order through Llewellyn publishing.

Find our guest at: LindaYaelSchiller.com PTSDreams.com​ ModernDreamwork.com

This show, episode number 290, was recorded during a live broadcast on December 21, 2024 at KSQD.org, community radio of Santa Cruz.

Intro and outro music by Mood Science. Ambient music new every week by Rick Kleffel. Archived music can be found at Pandemiad.com. Many thanks to Rick Kleffel for also engineering the show, and to Tony Russomano for the phones.

SHARE A DREAM FOR THE SHOW or a question or enquire about being a guest on the podcast by emailing Katherine Bell at [email protected]. Follow on FB and IG @ExperientialDreamwork #thedreamjournal. To learn more or to inquire about exploring your own dreams go to ExperientialDreamwork.com.

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The Dream Journal is produced at and airs on KSQD Santa Cruz, 90.7 FM. Catch it streaming LIVE at KSQD.org 10-11am Pacific Time on Saturdays. Call or text with your dreams or questions at 831-900-5773 or email at [email protected]. Podcasts are available on all major podcast platforms released the Monday following the live show. The complete KSQD Dream Journal podcast page can be found at ksqd.org/the-dream-journal/